Well, there's certainly a scenario in which he stays with the Niners — especially if Kaepernick falters down the stretch. But there's a growing possibility that Smith — who is owed a $7.5 million bonus April 1 — will be looking for a new employer in the offseason.

And just to make things more interesting, what if offensive coordinator Greg Roman is shopping his services at the same time?

There are several teams that could use a head coach-QB package, including Kansas City and Arizona. The Chiefs would be the best fit considering Roman's affection for strong running games and Smith's steady-hand style.

But Arizona definitely would be the most compelling. After all, Smith would get the chance to prove to coach Jim Harbaugh — twice a season — that he made the wrong choice at quarterback. — Matt Barrows

AFC East

Buffalo Bills: Coaches made the right decision in naming C.J. Spiller the starting running back. Spiller's league-leading yards per carry of 6.7 is simply too good for coach Chan Gailey to ignore.

Fred Jackson, who has been splitting time with Spiller, is a perfect fit as a third-down back who can offer a change of pace. Spiller, though, has game-breaking potential, and Gailey has to find a way to get the ball in his hands at least 20 times per game. If that means playing Jackson and Spiller together, Gailey shouldn't oppose it.

The more the Bills can use their two best offensive weapons, the better it will be for the offense. — Jay Skurski

Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill has seven touchdown passes, his passer rating is an unimpressive 72.3 and the 5-6 Dolphins probably aren't going to make the playoffs. But Tannehill took a big step forward in his development as a franchise quarterback last week, which should make Dolphins fans excited about his future.

Tannehill led Miami to 17 points in the fourth quarter in the comeback win over Seattle. It was his first fourth-quarter comeback victory ever, including college. If Tannehill can learn how to close out games, the Dolphins will become dangerous. — Ben Volin

New England Patriots: The team is about to cruise to its 10th AFC East title during the Bill Belichick era, but the real test lies ahead. When the Patriots return from Miami, they will begin to prepare for the first of back-to-back games against two of the NFL's best teams: Houston and San Francisco. Each opponent has a standout defense, and in recent years holding the Patriots to four touchdowns or fewer has generally been a formula for victory.

New England is 5-8 in games in which it scored 28 points or fewer since 2010, including Super Bowl XLVI. The team could all but wrap up the division Sunday, but there's hard work on the horizon. — Shalise Manza Young

New York Jets: Coach Rex Ryan is sticking with QB Mark Sanchez despite Sanchez's penchant for committing turnovers at the worst possible times. Sanchez likely will run a conservative game plan Sunday against offensively challenged Arizona, much like he did in the Jets' win over St. Louis — a game in which he was turnover-free.

The problem is that when Sanchez is asked to do more against stronger opposition, he is unable to do so — and he begins making mistakes. Counting playoff games, he has 64 NFL starts. But the light bulb has yet to go on, and it appears that it never will for him.

Sanchez was a fifth overall pick in 2009, and quarterbacks drafted that high are expected to be much more than game managers. That is all Sanchez is under the best of circumstances these days. — J.P. Pelzman

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens: If outside linebacker Paul Kruger continues to develop, the Ravens might have a good pass rush heading into the playoffs. Kruger has four sacks during the past three games and is giving the defense a threat opposite Terrell Suggs.

Coaches tried to convert Kruger into an every-down player earlier this season, but they had so much depth on the outside that they decided to use Kruger just in pass-rushing situations. Since making that move, Kruger has been keeping constant pressure on quarterbacks.

Earlier in his career, Kruger was just a speed rusher. Now he has good lateral movement and works well with his hands. — Mike Preston

Cincinnati Bengals: After back-to-back 100-yard games from BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the running game could be in for tough sledding on Sunday against a Chargers defense that is tied for fifth against the run.

With San Diego's secondary expected to focus coverage on A.J. Green, this could be a game where other members of the receiving unit step up. Fifth-round pick Marvin Jones looked like he would make a contribution before a Week 7 knee injury. With Mohamed Sanu possibly out for the season after breaking a foot in practice, Jones could get another chance Sunday. — Joe Reedy

Cleveland Browns: It's less important for the 3-8 Browns to steal a few more wins than it is to hone elements for 2013. Eric Mangini's four-game win streak in 2009 brought a final record of 5-11 and arguably hurt more than it helped. Mangini was retained for another season before being fired, and the franchise lost a year of potential progress under a new coaching staff.

Owner Jimmy Haslam should demand the rest of 2012 be focused on components for the future. Running back Trent Richardson is being used too much. There's no sense in further beating up a running back who can be a star when the games count at the start of next season. — Steve Doerschuk

Pittsburgh Steelers: Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey at left guard? There's a good chance that will happen Sunday for the rematch against the Ravens. And that might not be the only move for an offensive line that has lost two right tackles to injuries.

With left guard Willie Colon out and his status unsure for Sunday's game, Pouncey lined at left guard in practice and will play there if Colon is unable to go. Pouncey would be replaced at center by Doug Legursky.

That's not all. Rookie Kelvin Beachum is expected to make his first start at right tackle for Mike Adams (ankle), but he could be bumped if the coaches decide to move right guard Ramon Foster to right tackle and insert David DeCastro at right guard. DeCastro has been activated from the designated to return/injured list.

All the shuffling might not be a good thing for Charlie Batch. — Gerry Dulac

AFC South

Houston Texans: Sunday's game at Tennessee will be their third in a row against a team with a losing record. If the defense continues to play badly until early in the fourth quarter of games, the Texans are going to fool around and lose. If the defense plays the way it's capable, the Texans will improve to 11-1 and clinch a playoff berth. They can't continue to tempt fate after overtime wins over losing teams the past two weeks.

The Texans must obliterate the Titans the way they did in Week 4 at Reliant Stadium, a 38-14 whipping, and last season at LP Field, 41-7. Teams with designs of winning the Super Bowl don't make a habit out of playing down to the competition as the Texans have done the past two weeks. — John McClain

Indianapolis Colts: GM Ryan Grigson turned over every rock and explored every option while piecing together his secondary. We'll see Sunday in Detroit if it was enough.

The Lions' pitch-and-catch combo of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson is one of the league's most effective. On the surface, the Colts' collection of corners doesn't measure up.

Vontae Davis probably could hold his own if he hadn't missed the past month with a sprained left knee. He could return to the starting lineup Sunday but figures to be rusty and might need an occasional blow after missing so much time. The secondary isn't going to stop Johnson, but it must keep him from going off. — Mike Chappell

Jacksonville Jaguars: It's rare that an accomplished pass rusher becomes available at a relatively bargain price this late in the season, which explains why the Jaguars jumped at the chance to claim former Eagles defensive end Jason Babin.

Babin will cost the Jags only $1.64 million in salary the rest of this season, and the team has the option to pick up his $4.625 million cap number in 2013. It can cut Babin at any time without being on the hook for more money, so it's a low-risk move.

The Jaguars are tied for the league's worst pass rush (13 sacks), so they couldn't pass on a quarterback hunter who has 36 sacks since 2010. Babin could start Sunday at Buffalo. — Gene Frenette

Not right now. But Gray is likely coaching for his job in the final five games. The Titans are 4-7, and Gray's defense has been a big part of the problem. The Titans are 29th in total defense and 31st in points allowed. In seven of the 11 games, the Titans allowed at least 30 points.

Gray's defense is filled with youngsters, especially at linebacker. But an experienced secondary has been getting lit up all season. Gray must find answers down the stretch. — Jim Wyatt

AFC West

Denver Broncos: Peyton Manning and his receivers should rack up yardage Sunday against Tampa Bay's defense, which is last against the pass. But whether the Broncos extend their win streak to seven will depend on whether they can avoid mistakes that remain a stubborn issue during their surge.

The Buccaneers are third in the league with 16 interceptions, and Manning threw four picks in the past four games, helping extend the Broncos' streak of consecutive games with a turnover to 18 (including playoffs). — Andrew Mason

Kansas City Chiefs: It's not as big a need as quarterback, but the Chiefs must add a fast wide receiver in the offseason. Opponents are pressing their receivers without fear of getting beat deep.

The offense has 17 pass plays of 20 yards or longer in their past nine games, and many of those have been catch-and-run plays. In comparison, their opponents have 31 of those plays. The lack of big plays is a big reason the Chiefs are last in the league in scoring.

The Chiefs might get improvement from younger receivers like Jonathan Baldwin and Devon Wylie, but they shouldn't count on it. — Adam Teicher

Oakland Raiders: Team officials are taking a hard stand on middle linebacker Rolando McClain — they gave him a two-game suspension Friday — in light of a recent incident that compelled coach Dennis Allen to banish McClain from practice on Wednesday and Thursday.

This was Allen's chance to show he is in control of the team and won't be intimidated by any situation. Standing up to McClain was something former coach Hue Jackson failed to do last season. Allen might lose an underperforming player, but he will gain plenty of respect from his players and fans. — Steve Corkran

San Diego Chargers: It's now or never for the Chargers. A stretch of six losses in seven games has all but deep-sixed their season. Sunday at home against the Bengals (6-5) is a must-win game if the team is to have any hope of salvaging the year.

At 4-7, San Diego is two games back of forcing a wild-card tiebreaker. It can close the gap to as narrow as one with a win and a Steelers loss. The Chargers face Pittsburgh next week. If the Chargers are to get their season back on track, they'll have to do so without two defensive starters. Safety Atari Bigby (groin) is out for the season, and inside linebacker Donald Butler (groin) isn't expected to play. — Michael Gehlken

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: Quarterback Tony Romo will likely claim the team record for touchdown passes Sunday against the Eagles. He enters the game tied with Troy Aikman at 165.

Romo will likely own all Cowboys passing records before he is done. But none of it will matter if he doesn't have any playoff success. Aikman was part of three Super Bowl winners; Romo has won one playoff game. If he doesn't get on a roll and help the Cowboys finish strong in 2012, it will be another lost season despite the stats he is putting up. — Clarence Hill

New York Giants: With No. 2 back Andre Brown (leg) out for the season, it is incumbent on top back Ahmad Bradshaw to have a strong closing run.

Bradshaw has not had the season he envisioned for himself, as injuries have limited him to 733 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Still, he is considered one of the toughest and most competitive players on the roster and has not been overworked. He usually only practices once a week to save wear and tear on his feet, and he insists he feels strong and fairly fresh for the stretch run. — Paul Schwartz

Philadelphia Eagles: Two guys who should feel on the hot seat right now are defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. Those two, along with Jason Babin, were the three marquee free agents signed after the lockout in 2011 to get the Eagles over the Super Bowl hump. The team has instead gone 11-16 since and recently cut Babin.

Asomugha hasn't come close to fulfilling the monster contract he signed, and Jenkins' play has fallen off. Each could be deemed expendable if the front office desires to send another message, which could happen if the Eagles are embarrassed on national TV against Dallas. — Geoff Mosher

Washington Redskins: The defense is plagued by recurring issues, and a two-game winning streak hasn't changed anything. The Redskins still surrender big plays, which is how Dallas climbed back into the game from a 25-point deficit. And they still don't generate enough pressure. They held Philadelphia to six points two games ago, but that's the only time all season they has held a team below 21.

If the Redskins want to keep playing meaningful games in December, as they will Monday night against the Giants, their defense must continue to cause turnovers. They will struggle to stop teams any other way. — John Keim

NFC North

Chicago Bears: For years — maybe even decades — the Bears have struggled to get a wide receiver and a quarterback who could make the offense more diversified and less predictable.

And talk about ironies, now that they finally have that quarterback and that receiver, they are trying to figure out how they can be more diversified because everyone knows they're going to throw to Brandon Marshall.

Marshall leads the team with 81 receptions. Earl Bennett — the wide receiver with the second-most catches — has 22. — Gene Chamberlain

Detroit Lions: Jeff Backus has taken plenty of criticism in his 12-year career, some deserved. He played on losing teams for 10 seasons and has had difficult years at left tackle.

Now in the twilight of his career, it's time to pay the perennially underappreciated Backus respect. He started 186 consecutive games before a hamstring injury knocked him out last week. Backus could return Sunday against the Colts, but his biggest contribution this season has been behind the scenes getting rookie Riley Reiff ready to one day replace him. Backus is a consummate professional. — Dave Birkett

Green Bay Packers: It might be time to make another change in the offensive line. The coaches moved left guard T.J. Lang to right tackle, but it isn't working. Lang is a gamer and has plenty of talent, but his best position is guard. He should be playing at left guard, so that center Jeff Saturday can be protected by two big guards, Lang and Josh Sitton.

At right tackle, the best choice might be rookie Don Barclay, an undrafted free agent who made the team based on potential. He's probably not physically ready, but at this point they would only have to give him help instead of having to worry about giving Lang, Saturday and left guard Evan Dietrich-Smith help. The Packers might as well try it out because what they're doing now isn't working. — Tom Silverstein

Minnesota Vikings: Percy Harvin's lingering ankle sprain should be remembered well into the offseason just in case there's any hesitation by the Vikings to make anything but receiver their No. 1 priority for an upgrade.

Harvin has missed the past two games and was looking doubtful for a third consecutive week. Without him, the Vikings have no passing threat outside of tight end Kyle Rudolph. And even with Harvin, the Vikings have no dependable vertical threat. Jerome Simpson was supposed to help in that area, but his disappointing 13-catch season reached its lowest point when he dropped three passes in the loss to the Bears.

The receiving corps is so bland that the team could purge its roster of every receiver except Harvin and be just as good with replacement players. — Mark Craig

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: The team might have exorcised one of its evil demons — the Saints — but the jury remains out. Thursday's uneven game against New Orleans will not likely win over fence-setters.

The Falcons jumped out big but couldn't blow out the Saints. The running game flashed momentarily and then disappeared. The passing game was effective for a while, but then went cold.

The really good teams perform at high levels for extended periods. The Falcons haven't put together any great games. They play great for a quarter and a half, lose their momentum and end up cobbling together enough plays to win. That formula is successful in the regular season but must be rectified if the Falcons expect to finally make noise in the playoffs. — D. Orlando Ledbetter

Carolina Panthers: Even if the team matches last season's 6-10 record, it likely won't be enough to save coach Ron Rivera's job.

Owner Jerry Richardson, with help from consultant Ernie Accorsi, is seeking a new general manager after Richardson fired Marty Hurney in October. At the time of Hurney's dismissal, Richardson told Rivera the team had to be "trending upward" for Rivera to return. Winning four of the final six games would be a good finish. Winning all six is probably the only way Rivera gets a third year.

And with a new GM, even that's no guarantee. — Joe Person

New Orleans Saints: The Saints won't throw in the towel on the 2012 season just yet — not with the mathematical hope of reaching the playoffs at 9-7. But they recognize that they blew a huge opportunity with Thursday's error-filled 23-13 loss at Atlanta.

Nobody was harder on himself than quarterback Drew Brees, who threw a career-high five interceptions. Obviously no one is concerned about Brees being a detriment from this point forward. But he has admittedly battled the tendency to press and try to do too much during dire circumstances this season. And that was especially the case over the past two games. — Mike Triplett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: With all due respect to running back Doug Martin, weakside linebacker Lavonte David has been the Bucs' best rookie. David took over the play-calling duties, but that has not slowed him or kept him from making impact plays. He leads the Bucs in tackles and tackles for loss and has been solid in coverage.

David already looks like the best linebacker prospect the team has had since Derrick Brooks, and he hasn't found his comfort zone. Martin has made a big impact and will get his share of accolades, but David has been the more consistent playmaker. — Roy Cummings

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: Coaches hoped veteran Todd Heap would provide a receiving threat at tight end — something that had been missing for years — when the team signed him before the 2011 season. But it's Heap who has been missing for most of the past two seasons. He's played just 12 games over two years because of injuries: a hamstring a year ago and a knee this season.

Heap is healthy now, but he was inactive last week and it's hard to see him getting much time the rest of the way. Rob Housler, a second-year player, has passed him. At 32, Heap could be at the end of his career. — Kent Somers

St. Louis Rams: It has been a season of ups and downs, of progress sprinkled with inconsistency. And now, after ending a five-game winless streak with a 31-17 victory at Arizona, the Rams get another crack at the mighty 49ers.

Three weeks ago in Candlestick Park, the Rams outplayed the 49ers but squandered a 14-0 lead in what ended up as a 24-24 tie. Still unbeaten in the NFC West at 3-0-1, the Rams get another crack to topple the 49ers at home. A victory Sunday would represent significant progress for coach Jeff Fisher's rookie-littered roster. — Jim Thomas

Seattle Seahawks: Defensive end Red Bryant is the anchor of the run defense, and because he has been bothered by a sore foot the past month, the Seahawks have lost their footing against the run.

The team gave up 62.8 yards rushing per game in September, 107 in October and 172 in November. Bryant had not practiced this week and is a big question mark for Sunday's game at Chicago. If he doesn't play, Alan Branch will move from tackle to end. Coaches must find a way to improve the run defense, which has gone from being a strength to a liability. — Danny O'Neil